Many if not most middle age and older men develop benign prostate enlargement. This condition is called BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy). BPH is not cancer, but creates an obstruction to the flow of urine out of the bladder. As a result, men develop bothersome urinary symptoms, including:

frequent urination

getting up at night to urinate

urgent urination

a urinary stream that is weak and slow to start

a sense of incomplete bladder emptying, and occasionally urinary incontinence or urinary retention

These symptoms should be evaluated by a Urologist, to make sure they are not due to other causes such as prostate cancer, bladder stones, urinary tract infection, etc. Once the diagnosis of BPH has been made, there are several treatment options. Please refer to the "Prostate laser vaporization" and "Prostate microwave treatment" sections of this website, then return to this page.

Recently, a groundbreaking new treatment strategy has been approved for BPH. This treatment is called UroLift ®. This new system is illustrated in the following diagram:

Using local or general anesthesia, the Urologist inserts a scope into the urethra, and visualizes the obstructing prostate. Two to six UroLift implants are then placed into the prostate lobes, to hold them in an open position. There is no scraping, lasering, heating, or resecting of prostate tissue; the prostate is simply held open by the UroLift implants. The UroLift system has some advantages over prior treatment options, including:

Minimally invasive

Short recovery time

Rapid symptom relief

Durable results after one treatment

No cutting, heating, or removal of prostate tissue

Can be done in the doctor's office or short procedure unit

A bladder catheter is often not required

No medications are required to sustain relief

MOST IMPORTANTLY: unlike most of the other BPH treatment options, UroLift has not been reported to cause erection or ejaculation problems.

Not all men with BPH are good candidates for the UroLift system; this depends on the size and configuration of your prostate. Dr. Garber has received special training in the use of the UroLift system, and is one of the first Urologists offering this treatment in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. For more information, and to see a UroLift video, visit this website: